Jazz Club of Sarasota Concert Presents Nate Najar and Ken Peplowski in Concert

(Sarasota, Florida) The Jazz Club of Sarasota presents renowned jazz guitarist Nate Najar and the celebrated clarinetist and saxophonist Ken Peplowski in concert, Friday, December 14, 7:30 p.m., at the Beatrice Friedman Symphony Center, 709 North Tamiami Trail, in Sarasota. Accompanying the duo will be John Lamb on bass and Steven Bucholtz on drums. If purchased before December 6, tickets are $22.50 for Jazz Club members; $27.50 for non-members. Tickets are $30 at the door; and $10 for students. For information and tickets, call 941-366-1552.

Nate Najar is a jazz guitarist, composer and producer. Grounded in classical music, with a distinct affinity for jazz, Latin, blues and gospel, Najar considers himself a product of his many passions, including Antonio Carlos Jobim’s Brazilian rhythms and the stylistic genius of guitar and piano innovators, Barney Kessel, Django Reinhardt, Oscar Peterson and Bill Evans. He uses the acoustic guitar like a piano, eliciting rich and unique sounds that are the result of his ongoing mastery of the finger-style nylon string technique. Najar has performed alongside such jazz greats as Clark Terry, Ken Peplowski and Ray Kennedy. In 2008, Najar was invited by jazz pianist and educator, Dr. Billy Taylor, to perform in a Kennedy Center event celebrating Charlie Byrd and other jazz notables. For more information, visit www.natenajar.com.

One of the nation’s top clarinetists, and a very talented tenor player, Ken Peplowski has helped keep the tradition of small-group swing (and, occasionally, Dixieland) alive. After spending two years in the late 1970’s touring with the Tommy Dorsey ghost orchestra (directed by Buddy Morrow), Peplowski settled in New York, freelanced in a variety of settings, and played with Benny Goodman. Over the stretch of years, Peplowski has performed with such greats as Mel Torme, Leon Redbone, Charlie Byrd, Peggy Lee, Madonna, Hank Jones, Dave Frishberg, Rosemary Clooney, James Moody, Houston Person, Steve Allen and Woody Allen. Peplowski formerly recorded for Concord Records; his most recent albums have appeared on the Nagel-Heyer Records label. In 2007, Peplowski was named jazz advisor of Oregon Festival of American Music and music director of Jazz Party at The Shedd, both in Eugene, Oregon.

The Jazz Club of Sarasota’s mission is to promote, preserve, present, and educate people about jazz, the original American art form. Founded in 1980 by the late Hal Davis, the club presents ongoing concert series, events, lectures and the annual Sarasota Jazz Festival.